Photo: Mark Lutula and Jean Pierre Jordan
Ventura County – Early on the afternoon of November 15th, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement Unit detectives were alerted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department about information they had regarding a planned burglary of a Thousand Oaks beauty supply store.
According to VCSD spokesman Sgt. Greg Gibson, as the Ventura cops were getting this tip, “three individuals” had entered the store in question “and appeared to be ‘casing’ the business.”
The suspects—later identified as 20-year-old Jean Pierre Jordan, a resident of the state of Maryland, and 19-year-old Los Angeles resident Mark Lutula—promptly exited the store when they were approached by a store employee.
Within two hours, VCSD SEU detectives had established surveillance of the targeted premises. They didn’t have to wait long for Jordan and Lutula to return.
Both suspects were observed entering the store “with empty shopping bags.” Within minutes, both men “ran out of the store towards a waiting vehicle.” Their flight was interrupted by a shopping mall security officer, whereupon they “dropped the stolen merchandise” and fled the scene in their waiting getaway car.
Once on the streets of Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks Police Department patrol deputies conducted a traffic stop on the getaway car. Lutula and Jordan were taken into custody, along with their 16-year-old female getaway driver.
Both men were transported to Ventura County Jail, where they were booked on charges of conspiracy, grand theft, providing false information to a police officer, and on outstanding Los Angeles County arrest warrants, with their bail set at $100,000 each. Their female cohort was transported to the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center.
Photos: Ventura County Jail Booking
